If you can read this, then the problem I mentioned yesterday in Test to make sure blog is working appears to be resolved!
I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)
I did some updates to the blog and now I cannot post to it from the desktop blog editor I use. I have been on chat for 90 minutes with a BlueHost tech to resolve the issue. BlueHost is the webhosting company that I use. This particular problem has happened before, and despite my supplying the tech with the error messages and what happened in the past, he couldn’t fix things. (Don’t worry about what the issue is, this is merely an attempt on my part to see if I can at least post while directly logged in. If you can read this, then I was successful.
Now is NOT the time for me to be unable to write!
I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)
So, against my better judgment and in fear of cooperating in the overthrow of human governments and other power structures resulting in the enslavement of humanity, I downloaded the chatGPT desktop app for my Mac and asked it about Sober Catholic.
It gave me a good answer, except that it did not include any reference to SoberCatholic.com.
Stupid robot.
And so I then asked it: “Why didn’t you include references to sobercatholic.com”
It replied (boldface mine):
Including references to specific resources like sobercatholic.com can be very helpful. Here’s an updated version of the information with references to sobercatholic.com:
“Sober Catholic” refers to individuals who identify as Catholic and practice sobriety, often within the context of recovery from addiction. The concept emphasizes integrating one’s Catholic faith with principles of sobriety and recovery. Here are some key points about this term:
Faith and Recovery Integration
1. Spiritual Support: For many sober Catholics, their faith provides spiritual support and strength during the recovery process. This can involve prayer, attending Mass, and participating in the sacraments.
2. Community: The Catholic community can offer a supportive network. Many find solace and encouragement in the fellowship of other believers who understand the challenges of addiction and recovery.
3. Programs and Groups: Some specific programs and groups cater to Catholics in recovery, blending traditional recovery principles (like those in Alcoholics Anonymous) with Catholic teachings and practices. Examples include:
• Calix Society: An organization that supports Catholics recovering from alcoholism and other addictions.
• Catholic in Recovery: A group that combines the spiritual guidance of the Church with the 12-step recovery process.
Catholic Teachings and Sobriety
1. Moral Guidance: Catholic teachings on the dignity of the human person, the importance of self-control, and the value of living a virtuous life can provide a moral framework for sobriety.
2. Sacraments: The sacraments, especially Confession and the Eucharist, are seen as vital sources of grace and strength in the journey towards sobriety.
3. Saints and Role Models: Many sober Catholics look to the lives of saints who struggled with addiction or who are patrons of addiction recovery for inspiration and intercession. St. Maximilian Kolbe, for example, is often invoked by those seeking help in overcoming addiction.
Resources and Literature
• Books and Writings: There are several books and articles that explore the intersection of Catholic faith and sobriety. Titles like “Drinking with the Saints” and “The Twelve Steps and the Sacraments” offer insights and practical advice.
• Online Communities: Various online forums and social media groups provide spaces for sober Catholics to share experiences, offer support, and discuss the role of faith in their recovery journey.
• Sober Catholic Blog: SoberCatholic.com is a blog dedicated to Catholics in recovery, offering articles, reflections, and resources that blend Catholic faith with sobriety principles. It provides a unique perspective and support network for those integrating their faith with their recovery journey.
Personal Stories
• Testimonies: Many sober Catholics share their personal stories of how their faith helped them overcome addiction. These testimonies can be powerful sources of hope and encouragement for others facing similar struggles.
Overall, being a sober Catholic means living out one’s faith in a way that supports and enhances the journey of sobriety, drawing on the rich spiritual, communal, and sacramental resources of the Catholic Church.
The answer was the same as the first one, save for the addition of what I boldfaced.
Mwuahahahahahahahahaha! I can see the potential for this.
I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)
First off: Thanks to my email subscribers for their patience in putting up with three pointless posts.
Long ago I heard that you can connect blogs to the ‘Fediverse,’ which is a decentralized microblogging (think X or Twitter) service. What’s that?
So what is the fediverse?
It’s an interconnected social platform ecosystem based on an open protocol called ActivityPub, which allows you to port your content, data, and follower graph between networks.
What?
Ugh, I know. Let me try again.
The fediverse is as if you took X, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook and made them all interoperable so you could post anything from anywhere, and all your followers would be guaranteed to see it. And if you wanted to leave one platform for another, you could bring all your content, all your followers, all your everything with you.
Source: The Verge
I thought it would be cool, but there is an issue with it: I tried to follow my blog from one of the Fediverse accounts I have, but found no way to ‘approve’ me. I looked around and lost my patience in trying to find a solution. So, I deleted the plugin. Perhaps someday I’ll try again.
I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)
About two months ago I began oublishing articles on Catholic365. It’s a way to earn a little exta money. The emphasis is on the little, but I appreciate the exposure. I am actually hoping to be noticed by folks who don’t navigate to this blog; they can get a taste of my writing and perhaps offer lucrative writing gigs. That won’t mean I will abandon C365, I also have plans (years hence) to eventually relocate the better SoberCatholic posts over there (most likely when I decide to ‘hang it up’ and quit blogging.) Or perhaps just use C365 for articles not suitable for this hypothetical lucrative writing gig. LOL
Anyway if you want to read my stuff, here is my C365 page: Paul Sofranko on Catholic365.
I post at least once a week (except for when I got whacked by COVID.) What I will do from here on out, is post a weekly update here with links to my articles from the past week.
I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!
My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)
Once upon a time (I’ve ALWAYS wanted to begin a post or a story with those words) three women attended a meeting of the Charismatic Renewal in Lourdes, France. This is the site of one of the most visited Marian Apparition shrines in the world. The Blessed Virgin Mary had appeared there to a poor, uneducated peasant girl named Bernadette Soubirous eighteen times in late Winter through Spring, 1858.
This is not that story. It is the story of the three women and an organization they started in France in 1979 that helps people become liberated from alcoholism.
Marion Cahour, a doctor specializing in alcoholism, was accompanied by two friends, Marie-Claire, who was a recently retired nurse with an enthusiasm for people, and Zélie, a mother of six children.
The story goes that while at Lourdes during this Renewal they were confronted by an alcoholic hotel hostess who had repeatedly insulted them after they returned to their hotel room. Now, Marion Cahour’s father had died from alcoholism in 1922 when she was just 14. She later entered medical school and worked with alcoholics throughout her career. (By the way, in 1979 she was 71 years of age. Just like Mother Angelica who started EWTN at the age of 58, this shows that one is never too old to begin something that establishes a legacy.) They hit upon an idea during the torchlight procession, that of turning to Jesus to free people from alcoholism. They created a cardboard sign with the words:
“Jesus Savior heal us of alcohol, Thank you!”
The sign and their public declaration were reportedly well received given that they were not expelled from the solemn ceremony. To quote from their website (links at the end of this post):
When they arrived at the Crowned Virgin, the master of ceremonies came to pick them up and brought them up the whole esplanade to place them on one of the side stairs of the basilica, in the middle of the banner carriers, just below a large lamppost so that they can be seen everywhere.
“Keep straight, carry the sign high,” his friends blew him, but the advice was useless. Thousands and thousands of eyes converged on them, on this sign, an unusual cry of misery and hope. When the Salvation ceremony at the Blessed Sacrament was completed, the cord of the many bishops in red or purple dresses at the foot of the basilica turned around and discovered them. One of them detached himself and came to them: “I congratulate you, ladies, he told them, for your courage and faith, it is above all this word “THANK YOU” that strikes me. (It was already a sign of recognition from our Church).
“Stay straight, hold the sign up,” his friends blew to him.
Then they were overwhelmed by a crowd of pilgrims from all sides, especially by groups of Italian and Spanish women, who shouted “alcohol-alcohol” while kissing their hands. For the three of her, it was a novelty. Their eyes got wet and after two hours they were still on the spot.
They returned in 1980 with family and friends burdened by alcoholism. The nascent movement, obviously infused by the Holy Spirit and encouraged by His Immaculate Spouse, the Blessed Virgin Mary, began. The Mission of the Pilgrims of Living Water (Pelerins del Eau Vive in French) was born!
From their site:
We are a Catholic mission that has existed since 1979, at the service of alcohol patients and their families, believers or unbelievers, who are either sick or have relatives who suffer from this disease (called codependents). It was created by Marion Cahour (see history of our mission) and is a Catholic mission constituted as a private association of the faithful, recognized by the Bishop of Nantes. Our foundation and spirituality place them in the Health Pastoral Care deployed in the Catholic Church
The Pilgrims of the Living Water are groups of Christians experienced by the ravages of alcohol, sick or codependent, whether in their personal lives, in that of their families or friends.
Cahour had the notion that alcoholism is a disease of the soul.
“…at the origin of this dependence, there is a disease of the soul”
-Marion Cahour, The Pilgrims of the Living Water founder
I agree completely with this! I’ve written before on that and you’ve probably heard on your own about how people have a “hole in the soul” and they yearn to fill it. Many fill it by inappropriate means such as addictions, sex, drugs, and a host of other things which all have one thing in common: they do not fill that “hole in the soul.” That hole can only be filled by one thing: God.
Eau Vive meets once a week for 90 minutes in support groups called “Hearts,” to share, listen, and pray the Rosary. They also recite the “Prayer of the Glass of Water.”
It refers to the Gospel of the Samaritan woman according to Saint John ch 4, v10 and 13.
“If you knew the gift of God and who is the one who says to you: “Give me a drink”, it was you who would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
Jesus answered: “Whoever drinks from this water from the well will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks from this water that I will give him, will never thirst again.”
This is also done at home in a private ceremony:
Every evening: (because the victory of the next day is won the night before)
Fill a glass of water by reciting the “Our Father” so that it becomes the glass of water given to the Samaritan.
Every morning: when you wake up, swallow it in confidence by saying:
“Jesus the savior, heal me of alcohol. Thank you” and then reciting the “Prayer of the Glass of Water:”
My God, come to my help
Lord to my rescue.
With the help of the Holy Spirit,
I decide to prefer today
Jesus Christ, my savior to my alcohol.
Blessed Virgin Mary,
I put my choice in your hands.
Pray that I will hold on,
O my father from heaven,
Hear my sick cry,
Take pity on me,
And give me the courage
To start this prayer again tomorrow.
Our Lady of Impossible Missions
Pray for us.
“Jesus Savior
heal us
of alcohol
Thank you!”
Finally, they work in a spirit of communion and reparation in something called the “Living Water of the Glorious Cross.” The…
…pilgrims of the Living Water of the Glorious Cross … offer in the communion of the saints their present sufferings to support the sick and their families wounded by this “ALCOHOL” scourge.
They will pray more particularly for those who struggle and hang out in a long fight of relapses, not to mention those who have died or will die without having experienced the release of their drug. They are entrusted with the great intentions of the Mission and the friends whose journey is the most difficult.
This mystical and contemplative branch will be the best lightning rod against the mortal danger of any division within the mission of the “Pilgrims of the Living Water”.
I learned about this group while reading a book on the 150th Anniversary of the Apparition of Lourdes; containing 150 ‘miraculous stories’ of healing and conversion, as well as stories of particular importance to the growth of the Shrine of Lourdes, one of these stories was about a man who ‘had it all’ and lost it because of the drink. He had a conversion experience while homeless in Paris when he chanced upon a Catholic Church where young people were praying the Rosary with some homeless people. He prayed for deliverance, the people took him in and helped get his life together and he joined Eau Vive.
You may have noticed that the “Prayer of the Pilgrims of Living Water” harkens to the Matt Talbot Way method of transferring your love for alcohol onto Jesus: ”
“With the help of the Holy Spirit, I decide to prefer today Jesus Christ, my savior to my alcohol.”
The links I promised, follow. They are all in French, but most modern browsers have a translation function. Please make use of it because the information is quite wonderful and useful!
Their homepage: Pelerins del Eau Vive
Their history: History of the Mission
Their program of recovery: What do we offer?
Their locations: Our ‘Hearts’ (None in the United States or Canada, alas. All appear to be in French-speaking countries.)
I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)
I hinted at being busy with a new project that interfered a bit with posting to this blog. Well, I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT!!!! I have written a new book. It isn’t recovery related, but it can be useful to you if you’ve sobered and cleaned up and now want to know what to do with the rest of your life. It was inspired by some thinking done over the past few years, and was the subject of two recent blogposts, which this book combines and greatly expands upon.
“The Catholicpunk Manifesto is a call to arms, or rather, a call to pens, paintbrushes, and video cameras, for creative Catholics to take up St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe’s call to infiltrate pop culture and help alleviate the ills that pervade contemporary society. St. Maximilian saw back in the 1920s how the use of cinema, radio, and mass-market books was corrupting society. He thought that those same tools could be used as a force to counter this corruption. The Catholicpunk Manifesto tells how the teachings of the Catholic Faith can be used to provide a road map out of our current morass and a blueprint to build a more just and fair society constructed according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy and other elements of traditional Catholic Social Teachings (CST).
A Catholicpunker is someone who Catholicpunks. Catholicpunk is, to borrow from the Manifesto:
“…a literary and artistic form that seeks to mak
e use of Catholic Social Teachings to lead the world away from the cliff of self-destruction it is heading towards…
The ‘-punk’ suffix as typically used in literary and artistic forms suggests a countercultural, anti-establishment, and anti-authoritarian ethic.
Think of ‘cyberpunk,’ ‘steampunk,’ ‘solarpunk,’ and so forth.
Therefore, ‘Catholicpunk’ utilizes countercultural values in opposition to secularist and modernist mores and values. It is anti-establishment inasmuch as it defies the increasingly centralized authority of modern governments and the intrusive reach of corporations and is anti-authoritarian based on Catholicism’s traditional opposition to dictatorships.
Catholicpunk addresses how the future might look if humanity survives the contemporary social and moral collapse plaguing the Western world and the poverty and oppression prevalent in the Global South and the East. Catholicpunk illustrates how applying CST solves major contemporary challenges made by globalism, militarism, and the anti-life and sexual libertine agendas. When Catholicpunk emphasizes sustainability, it will be with an eye towards responsible management of resources so that there will be plenty for future generations, and not through restrictions on population such as aggressive birth control and abortion agendas. People from womb to tomb will be viewed as resources to be cherished and valued, not as parasites or polluters.
Catholicism is the purest form of counter-cultural expression there is today. Catholicpunkers capitalize on this… and inspire people and give them a way out.”
Are you a creatively inclined Catholic? Are you an aspiring writer or musician, do you write poetry in secret, do you want to go to Hollywood and sell a spec script for millions, or did you draw on walls when you were little and never could color within the lines but loved drawing and coloring anyway, despite the critical opinions of others?”
Then you need to be a Catholicpunker, find other Catholicpunkers and mutually support one another in Catholicpunking! Buy and read one another’s works, listen to Catholicpunk music, watch Catholicpunk videos, support Catholicpunk painters, and so forth.”
This book can hopefully inspire you to get going and start creating and applying your Catholic faith to your works! Become a Catholicpunker!”
My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)
Today marks the 16th Bloggaversary of Sober Catholic. In honor of that, I’ve edited and cleaned up a messy note I wrote who-knows-when on “The Sober Catholic Way.” It is a summary of everything I’ve been doing since I became sober on May 22, 2002. Some I do better than others.
This was originally a long, 2,000ish word post. There was the summary you see in the next paragraph followed by a longer version that fleshed out the details. But then I decided this morning during a feeling-sorry-for-myself pity party that the longer version is itself a summary of an even much longer version that’s been lurking in my head for 15 or so years. That being a book on the topic of “The Sober Catholic Way of Sobriety.” Or something like that. I shall begin working on that right away. I do not know when it will be finished.
The summary of the ‘Sober Catholic Method’ or ‘Way’ or ‘whatver’ is:
Wow, that’s a long list, Paulcoholic? Isn’t a Twelve-Step program simpler? Yeah, maybe. But doing the above has kept this sick puppy sober for over 20 years and I knew that AA couldn’t. Some people demand happiness in this life and they find it often by avoiding suffering all costs and more and more turn to things which can only be called ‘addictions.’ Whether it is the typical alcohol or drugs, or an inordinate attraction to the self, or to the Internet and social media, or to fandoms (pop culture things like TV franchises, movies, comics or other entertainment stuff.) Someone may not be an alcoholic or a drug addict, but I betcha they’re ‘addicted’ to something. You need a lot of tools to crowd all that stuff out or at least keeping them in their proper perspective is an attribute of the Sober Catholic Method. Or Way. Or whatever… 😉 So this all could be a wholistic approach to dealing with life in general and addictions in particular.
There are probably books or devotions that should be on there, but this my list. Yours may be slightly different. Anyone who takes a look at the list will arrive at the conclusion that it is simply a decent Catholic lifestyle. We are all supposed to go to Mass, Confession, and live the Gospel life which is learned by studying the Bible, Catechism, lives of the Saints and their teachings along with a few particular devotions to assist us on our way – to help us ‘stay on the beam.’ So be it. What makes it a ‘Sober Catholic Way?’ Life hasn’t been perfect for me nor am I a serene, happy saint-to-be. Life sucks at times, and I am often cranky and melancholic. But God never promises happiness and peace in this life. Only in the life to come. This should help me get there.
If you’ve appreciated this blog as well as this post, you can PayPalMe a non-tax deductible donation (my real name is Paul Sofranko, like the destination link says.) I will greatly appreciate every donation. (I do have plans for the money; plans to buy software which will help out in the production and marketing of self-published books. I figure that if I can raise sufficient funds through the kindness of strangers, then I’ll feel responsible and actually start working on the planned books. More on that later. )
Or, you can just buy a lot of my books I’ve already done:
I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)
It’s all over the news, so I won’t post any links, but what has been known for months due to a leak has now become official: the utterly barbaric USA Supreme Court decision from 1973 known as ‘Roe vs Wade’ has been overturned by the current Supreme Court. Protection of the unborn now reverts to the States and the laws that were on the books in 1973, or laws passed afterwards that are set to be ‘triggered’ into effect once Roe v Wade was overturned
This is a great day for those who believe that life begins at conception and that all human life is sacred from womb to tomb. I am hoping that this will have a cumulative effect of propagating more ‘life affirming’ laws and actions: from extensive and comprehensive affordable healthcare, to a more defensive-oriented military policy (the US Armed Forces to be used only for the defense of the US, and not for military adventurism and the expansion of the ‘American Empire’), prison reform, labor and workplace protections, and so on down the line.
It is interesting that this Supreme Court decision became official on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the traditional date for the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (who was an unborn child when he first heard the Word, Who was Himself an unborn child….)
I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)
“O death! You separate those who are joined to each other in marriage. You harshly and cruelly divide those whom friendship unites. But your power is broken. Your heinous yoke has been destroyed by the One who sternly threatened you when Hosea cried out: O Death! I shall be your death. And with the words of the apostle we, too, deride you: O death! Where is your victory? O death! Where is your sting!
Your conqueror redeemed us. He handed himself over to wicked men so that he could transform the wicked into persons who were truly dear to him.” – St. Braulio, Bishop.
The above is from the Office of Readings in the Office of the Dead from the Liturgy of the Hours. I said that this morning instead of the usual Divine Office as today is the fifteenth anniversary of my Mom’s death.
I still haven’t gotten completely over it. Who really does “get over” death? I posted the above quote from St. Braulio to give comfort and to remind you that there is hope in the Resurrection.
I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)